peasepud

Birmingham are set to make a £1m bid for Manchester City striker Darius Vassell in January. (The Sun) West Ham will move for Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner when the transfer window opens. (Daily Mirror) Sheffield United are set to lose out to Lazio in the race to land Italian striker Fabio Vignaroli, who is a free agent after leaving Bari at the end of last season. (Daily Mirror) Finnish goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen's failure to sign a new deal at Bolton has alerted clubs at home and abroad. (The Sun) Chelsea have agreed to pay Millwall £175,000 for their 6ft 5in academy keeper Sam Walker, 15. (The Sun) Derby manager Billy Davies is set for showdown talks with his bosses this week - but could join Leicester if he decides to leave the Rams following reports that they have been lining up a replacement. (Daily Mirror) Business tycoon Richard Downes is poised to invest in Chester - or take over the club. (The Sun)

How come theres only one of them?

A north-south healthy life gap of more than three decades exists between communities in England and Wales, government figures show. The Office for National Statistics measured "healthy life expectancy" - the age before ill-health strikes. People in Didcot, Oxfordshire, could expect 86 healthy years, while in parts of Middlesbrough the figure was 54.9. The study concluded that nine of the top 10 healthiest spots were to be found in the south of England. TOP HEALTHY LIFE EXPECTANCIES Didcot Ladygrove, Oxfordshire - 86 years Rissingtons, Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire - 84.6 Moreton Hall, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk - 84.2 Littlebury, Saffron Walden, Essex - 83.8 Shaftesbury Underhill, Dorset - 83.7 Gerrards Cross South, Buckinghamshire - 82.9 Greystoke, Penrith, Cumbria - 82.8 The Lower Tarrants, North Dorset - 82.2 Belgravia and Knightsbridge, London - 82 Adenham East, Hertfordshire - 82 Meanwhile, six of the bottom 10 were either areas of Liverpool or Manchester. A spokesman for the ONS said that researchers had carried out an "experimental" study based on death records, population data and censuses. In 2001 the average UK healthy lifespan was thought to be 68.8 for women and 67 for men. The district in England and Wales with the lowest healthy life expectancy, according to the study, is Middlehaven, the dockside area of Middlesbrough. A former shipyard community, local planners hope a £200m facelift will improve its image. LOWEST HEALTHY LIFE EXPECTANCIES Middlehaven, Middlesbrough - 54.9 years Rhyl West, Denbighshire - 55.7 Everton, Liverpool - 56.3 Gurnos, Merthyr Tydfill, South Wales - 56.6 Vauxhall, Liverpool - 56.7 Granby, Liverpool - 57.4 Ardwick, Manchester - 57.5 Aberbargoed, Caerphilly, South Wales - 57.6 Beswick and Clayton, Manchester - 57.6 Smithdown, Liverpool - 57.7 By contrast, the 1990s-built Ladygrove estate in Didcot - officially the which tops the national table - may have received a boost from the local recreation grounds and sports centre. Tony Harbour, the deputy Mayor of Didcot, told the Sunday Telegraph that he was not surprised that his town had done so well in the study. He said: "I suppose we are a healthy lot - people tend to walk everywhere. "A real mix of people move here, for various reasons. There's a lot of young families." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6985692.stm

Police have begun a murder investigation after the body of a man was found in Newcastle. Northumbria Police said they were alerted after a man walked in to Etal Lane police station in the city on Sunday morning. They later found the body of man at an address in Millfield Close, in the Newburn area of the city. The name of the dead man has not been released. A 41-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Insp Jan Harrison, who is responsible for the area, said: "Over the next few days extra police officers will be on patrol in the area providing reassurance to the local community and addressing any concerns they have." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/6986201.stm What is it about the West End these days? seems to have become the murder capital of Newcastle?

Nah, a free season ticket, make a big thing in the press about how generous we are then tell you its non-transferrable.

I reckon the odds on 3 together will be small though, unless you flash a bit cash and go for one of the corporate packages or a bar.

How would the press know? negotiations arent public knowledge, it takes one of the two sides to make that information public before the press go running. I'm guessing people who've been reporting about the club for a while have contacts who'll drop them titbits now and then. ~I'm not saying he definitely didn't go to the press, just that I'm willing to keep an open mind is all. I think even if he didnt go directly to them then his statement was poor to say the least.

I dont believe that Bramble is clever enough to be the main man in his own home.....and he lives alone.

The chemicals/coolant used in fridges is a quite a contributor to global warming. I thought that was the point of the joke? It was early, Parky had obviously had a heavy night

How would the press know? negotiations arent public knowledge, it takes one of the two sides to make that information public before the press go running.

I think its fair enough him being bothered at the difference in wages between himself and the likes of Zog/Milner/Faye but hes gone about it the totally wrong way imo. His "agent" (or as hes better known, his dad who saw a chance to sit on his arse and earn some of his kids money) should have kept his gob shut and negotiated properly. Quietly and confidently staking his clients case rather than shouting about how unfair it was and how he loves the club. Spitting the dummy rarely wins the fans over tbh

You suddenly become an extra from Snatch or summit?

So? whats the worry? Lets just start a campaign to get everyone to put a fridge in their back garden, plug it in and open the door.... nae hassle within a year or two we'll have brought the temperature down.

Im gonna get Dyer on mine.... just to play safe.

*on a message board in a far distant land known as Yorkshire a lone man stands tall.

Ive always had a soft spot for consolidation

Ive scanned the books and find no mention of a Citroen Saxo with private plate like Who drives a saxo like? Its actually about some gangly bloke who works in IT and thinks hes a super sleuth at weekends, following people around with his camera. Sounds like a top bloke then, might have to have a read

Some education you've had! use it in a sentence such as "Im going to France, I could get the ferry or I mayfly"

Skipper Craig Bellamy left the Wales squad on the eve of Germany clash yesterday to dash to hospital after his newborn daughter suffered a health scare. West Ham star Bellamy, 28, became a father for the third time on Monday when his wife Claire gave birth to a baby girl. But Cardiff-born Bellamy's latest child is still being closely monitored by doctors, and the forward missed training yesterday to be with his family. Wales would love to have inform Bellamy available against the Germans tonight as they seek a win to boost their faint hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008. "We hope it is nothing serious with Craig's little baby girl," said manager John Toshack. "He is concerned because there are one or two little worries about the baby at the minute but from what we gather he should be back with us for the game and we just hope he is in the right frame of mind to play. We know there is no more committed a Welsh player than Craig and we just hope when he comes back he is ready to play and he is OK." Despite the concerns, Bellamy is set to start in Wales' attack alongside home debutant Freddy Eastwood after the Essex-born Wolves striker scored on his first start last month in Bulgaria. Former Southend marksman Eastwood, 23, netted the only goal in Wales' impressive 1-0 friendly win and Tosh believes the clinical forward can fire them to further victories. "It will be a huge night for Freddy but we are quite pleased with what we have seen from him," added the coach. "He is 23 and scored on his debut in Bulgaria, which was a tough game. They pushed us really hard but he did OK in the 45 minutes he was on and scored his goal. "We have had a lot of 0-0 draws in recent years but had chances to win and the one chance Freddy had, he stuck it away which bodes well for the future." Heres hoping everything alright with the little 'un. Im no fan of Bellends but it must be a hard time for him.

Valentin Nastase has quit Dinamo Bucharest due to accusations levied against him after the Romanian side’s exit from the Champions League preliminaries at the hands of Lazio. The 32-year-old ex-Ascoli stopper became public enemy number one at Dinamo after giving up a decisive penalty during the return-leg in Bucharest. Some have even gone as far as accusing him of match-fixing, including a Romanian newspaper which ran the headline “How much did it cost?” beside a picture of the infamous tackle. “I am shocked by all that has been said about me,' Nastase said. 'I'm not a coward, but I can't continue to play for Dinamo. I am disappointed “When you are a defender people notice only the bad things, not what you do well. The coach attacked me in the press, fans abused me and nobody will forget my mistake so I cannot continue.” After having terminated his contract with Dinamo, Nastase is now considering retiring from football altogether. “I am disappointed because those who should have supported me, did not,' he said. 'I'm responsible for the elimination. I don't know what I'll do now.” Now if only Carr had the sense to do that

Garlic", "mayfly" and "home" are among the entries submitted in a bid to find the UK's favourite word. The Words for the World campaign is a fun attempt to highlight the serious issue of children whose education is compromised by war. It has been organised by the charity Education Action, which aims to rebuild people's lives through learning. The campaign is linked to International Literacy Day on 8 September. People can contribute their own words online. Words are the foundation for any education, but 80 million children around the world cannot go to school, almost half of them because they live in a war zone. Education Action is asking people to show their support for the need to educate all children by submitting their favourite word on their website. Head of Development at Education Action Chris Field said: "Giving their favourite word is a great way for people to show their support for the education of all children, particularly on International Literacy Day. "We've had some really interesting and fun results so far and look forward to seeing more." Hundreds of people, including MPs, authors and actors, have added their contribution. Flamboyant Conservative MP Boris Johnson chose "carminative" which means "the effects of relieving flatulence", Peasepud went for Spunkbubble and maverick Respect MP George Galloway chose "indefatigability" (tirelessness). TV gardening guru Monty Don chose "home" and historian Simon Schama picked "garlic". Author Deborah Moggach's favourite word is "mayfly" and fellow novelist Jenny Colgan's is "panamax". She said: "It's used to describe the very high-sided narrow boats built to the maximum size that can go through the Panama canal. I just love the fact that the word describing perfect engineering efficiency is in itself such a beautiful model of efficiency." Some people have chosen words because they like the sound of them, but the most popular so far are those associated with positive aspirations, like "peace", "love", and "serendipity". You can add your favourite word here > http://www.education-action.org/default.asp?pageRef=274, wonder how many votes it would take to get something "unusual" in the top ten

A new video tape purportedly made by al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden has urged the American people to embrace Islam in order to stop the war in Iraq. Unnamed US officials said they believed the speaker, who makes no overt threats against the US, was indeed Bin Laden. It is his first video in three years. The release of the tape comes near the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. US President George W Bush said the message was "a reminder of the dangerous world in which we live". "It's important that we show resolve and determination to protect ourselves, deny al-Qaeda safe havens," said the president, who is on a visit to Australia. Date references suggest it may have been made as recently as this summer, US officials studying the tape said. 'Two choices' A short excerpt from the 30-minute tape was aired by al-Jazeera TV on Friday evening. It shows Osama Bin Laden sitting at a table, dressed in a white robe and turban and beige cloak. His beard looks shorter and darker than in the video issued in 2004. You made one of your greatest mistakes, in that you neither brought to account nor punished those who waged this war [in Iraq]. Beneath him a banner reads in English "A message from Sheikh Osama Bin Laden to the American people". The speaker makes no overt threats to the US and did not directly call for attacks, according to transcripts of the tape obtained by several media organisations in the United States. Instead, he tells the American people that they have failed to persuade the Bush administration to stop the war in Iraq. "You made one of your greatest mistakes, in that you neither brought to account nor punished those who waged this war," the speaker in the tape says, according to the transcript obtained by ABC News. "You permitted Bush to complete his first term, and stranger still, chose him for a second term, which gave him a clear mandate from you... to continue to murder our people in Iraq and Afghanistan". The speaker tells the American public that there are two ways to end the war in Iraq: "The first is from our side, and it is to continue to escalate the killing and fighting against you." The second way, he continues, is to reject America's democratic system and convert to Islam. "It has now become clear to you and the entire world the impotence of the democratic system and how it plays with the interest of the peoples and their blood by sacrificing soldiers and populations to achieve the interests of the major corporations". "I invite you to embrace Islam," the speaker says. The transcript also makes reference to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, which indicates that the tape was recorded after Mr Sarkozy's victory in May. The US Department of Homeland Security said it had no credible information of an imminent threat in the wake of the video announcement. Deputy State Department spokesman Tom Casey said: "I don't think that anything he is likely to say or do is going to change our resolve or the resolve of our international partners to confront extremism." But in a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Friday, CIA director Michael Hayden warned that al-Qaeda was plotting new attacks on the US. "Our analysts assess with high confidence that al-Qaeda's central leadership is planning high impact plots against the American homeland," he said. "Al-Qaeda is focusing on targets that would produce mass casualties, dramatic destruction and significant economic aftershocks." $50m bounty In his October 2004 video, Osama Bin Laden threatened new attacks against the US on the eve of the presidential election. Another tape - audio - was released in January 2006. It referred to identifiable events, including the situation in Somalia. Bin Laden did appear in footage on a militant website in July this year but the clip was undated and correspondents said it might be old footage, which had been recycled. Al-Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri has appeared in a greater number of videos, including one berating the Pakistani army's assault on radical Islamists in Islamabad's Red Mosque in July. The US Senate voted to double the bounty on Bin Laden to $50 million (£24.6 million) in July. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6984102.stm

brilliant series...just bought the last one..Rebus is retirng well thank you Mrs Ruintheseriesfortherestofus

Head Rush Ajax - God am I really that dull?

Ive scanned the books and find no mention of a Citroen Saxo with private plate like